1.d3 releases the Queen´s bishop and makes a modest claim of the centre, but since 1.d3 does not stake out as large a share of the centre as 1.d4 does, 1.d3 is not a popular opening move. Of the twenty possible first moves for White, 1.d3 ranks tenth in popularity. Nevertheless, since 1...d6 is playable for Black against any opening move from White, 1.d3 is playable for White as well.

Its most famous use came in the third game in the rematch between Garry Kasparov and the Deep Blue computer in 1997. Kasparov correctly believed that the computer would play the opening poorly if it had to rely on its own skills, rather than its opening book, but the game was finally drawn.